Author
Topic: The "Photonovel Updates" Thread (Read 30306 times)

For what it's worth, I stopped work on PN about Sedo Crus - K.O.E. - specifically because the comments dried up.

Call it ego or whatever, but if the work doesn't get attention and if the author doesn't get to discuss what he or she did with the group, it sucks the fun out of it.

I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but probably a third of the fun of making a photonovel is feedback. Now, I'll admit I haven't exactly been giving others feedback, either, but that's more a function of my having dropped out of that area of the hobby.

For what it's worth, I stopped work on PN about Sedo Crus - K.O.E. - specifically because the comments dried up.

Call it ego or whatever, but if the work doesn't get attention and if the author doesn't get to discuss what he or she did with the group, it sucks the fun out of it.

I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but probably a third of the fun of making a photonovel is feedback. Now, I'll admit I haven't exactly been giving others feedback, either, but that's more a function of my having dropped out of that area of the hobby.

I hope you change your mind Rem. I for one, absolutely loved your PN. I thought your story telling and photography were just top notch!

I didn't realize that you had finished your photonovel! I'll definitely check out the conclusion this week-end and will post comments as soon as I can.

In Rem,

I am very saddened to hear you will not be continuing K.O.E. Heck, you can't even go back and see the older chapters, as the links to the pics are all broken.

Look, I certainly understand where you're coming from. I agree with your sentiments - it's no fun making PN's when there are no comments. In fact, it's downright depressing and frustrating.

I have done my best to try to champion photonovels here and on the other popular customizing forums and have even started discussion threads on that very topic - the dwindling interest in PN's from the community at large.

I have seen some great photonovels vanish quickly off the radar with only a miniscule amount of feedback. It's saddening and it has been a contributing factor to why I haven't been working on my own material - fear that it won't find an audience.

Why go through the massive effort if there isn't an audience and if there isn't some appreciation.

That said, and I don't mean to contradict or critize you, I always thought that your PN's were pretty popular. Your last update was many months ago and seemed to get a fair amount of chatter and commentary (not as much as I think you deserve, but certainly more than a few instances I have seen lately.)

I am puzzled why more people don't comment on these unique and lovely works of art. It seems like something the customizing and collecting community should really get behind as a whole, not just a small fragment of people. I dont' know why there are so many dedicated and prolific customizers and active members of the forum who never (and I mean NEVER) bother to comment in the PN section.

I am far from perfect, but I usually try to do my best to give everyone feedback, though it isn't often as detailed as I would like.

But, speaking as a fan, I would love, love, LOVE to see another chapter of K.O.E. and do hope that you pick up the story at some point. I would suggest posting it to as many sites as possible, though often that only helps to a small degree. K.O.E. was one of the best stories I've ever seen and I know that it was loved by everyone who read it.

I still live in hope that more and more people (not less and less) will enjoy and participate actively in these stories.

...But, speaking as a fan, I would love, love, LOVE to see another chapter of K.O.E. and do hope that you pick up the story at some point. I would suggest posting it to as many sites as possible, though often that only helps to a small degree. K.O.E. was one of the best stories I've ever seen and I know that it was loved by everyone who read it.

Well, K.O.E. isn't completely dead... I have the story and stuff, but I have to make the time to get it out, and it's harder to do that now.

I am humbled to hear people really liked K.O.E. If I can get my domain and site back up, I'll relocate the pics so the links won't be broken. I certainly didn't take it down on purpose.... register.com screwed up my renewal.

I really do love that story. No offence to anyone else, 'cuz I dig more than a few of the PNs (when I get a chance to read them), but KOE is my all-time fave... Tho I can certainly empathize with the whole lack-of-time thing.

And if you need reliable web hosting, I co-own a company that provides it. PM if your interested.

Like Lance said, there's a lot of customizers out there who NEVER comment on the photonovels or offer any support. Thankfully there are some that do, but it can be pretty disheartening to not get feedback, especially from people who you consider to be your friends. I think a lot of it also has to do with exposure/support from web staff too though. If the support isn't there, then the casual reader quite often isn't aware of them.

What I'm doing with my series, is mostly for myself now, just because I like making them. And as you know most of my time is at www.yakface.com these days, so if something is posted somewhere else and not there, I usually don't get to it too quickly.

It seems like it is really a bonus to even get feedback these days, though I do love getting feedback of course. Even if it's not all positive feedback, at least somebody had the courtesy and interest to take the time to return the favor. What I spent dozens of hours on might take someone 5-10 minutes to read, and just a couple minutes of typing to reply back with some sort of feedback. When I get it, great! When I don't, then I move on and try to make the next chapter just a little more exciting. The funny thing is now that I do them at Yak and get to have front page exposure with them, I actually get a lot more feedback via email than in the forums. I have gotten hate email too from someone who detests the series but usually it's just one-liners saying that they liked the story, but hey it does make me happy to hear from someone who appreciated what I tried to set out and do; make a fun story.

I used to care a lot with how many comments I got, but now realize I'll probably not get too many moving forward as the photonovel craze has died down to some degree. It would be nice to get a lot of feedback, but it just doesn't happen too much these days. Heck even if nobody replied at all, I'd still make photonovels just because I have a passion for writing stories, trying to bring my ideas together and finding out some way to present them.

So don't be discouraged my friend, you have a great talent for these, and there definitely are people out there who truly appreciate that you make them.

I appreciate all the responses re: feedback, but it wasn't the *only* reason I stopped. In fact, all things being equal, I'd still be making them whether I got feedback or not. It was just one of those things where I had so many birds chirping in my ear, the PN was one of the first things I trimmed (along with customizing).

But I'm finding that more work does not always equal more pay or more personal fulfilment. The PN was always fulfilling, even if I didn't hear a word about it. I liked what I made. That said, I'm seriously thinking I need to get back into it for my emotional well-being.

Anyway, I didn't want to leave anyone with the impression that I stopped JUST because of feedback... it was the entirety of the circumstances.

yeah feedback is the fire inwhich photonovels burn.....at this point i'm also considering not completing my trilogy.the scripts where finished in '05, but i'm just not sure if anyone would and or does want to know where this is going......

Coming Soon in 2007, I am starting a photonovel series here at JediDefender. The title is not revealed yet, mostly because I havent made one up, but I already have a storyline figured out. I cannot give you the time in which it takes place, because that would give a lot away. Some old favorites featured include A'Sharad Hett, Aayla Secura, BoShek and the famous R2 and 3PO droid duo, plus some VERY cool brand new characters. So stay tuned and keep checking for updates. I'll give some more plot stuff away probably over the course of this week.